Tag: Justin Strnad

Justin Strnad, Tremon Smith plead their cases after ‘TNF’ penalties

“I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do,” Broncos LB Justin Strnad said when asked about the Justin Herbert slide.

The Denver Broncos were penalized seven times for 61 yards in a 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football in Week 16.

One of the most crucial fouls came from linebacker Justin Strnad, who was penalized for “barely” hitting sliding Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert on a third down in the third quarter. Instead of facing 4th-and-6 from Denver’s 11-yard line, L.A. was gifted a 1st-and-goal from the five-yard line.

The Chargers went on to score a touchdown. Assuming they would have kicked a field goal on fourth down if not for the penalty, that foul was a four-point swing.

After the game, Strnad initially said he had “no comment” on the play before later saying, “I don’t think it was a penalty.”

When asked if he made contact with Herbert, the linebacker had this response: “I think I like barely hit him. I mean, he’s a huge quarterback, I’m getting ready to tackle him, he slides last second. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do.”

This is the play in question:

Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith also had a crucial penalty that cost the team points. Just before halftime, Smith made contact with a returner who had called fair catch. The resulting 15-yard penalty gifted the Chargers a fair catch free kick, a three-point swing.

Smith admitted it was a “dumb penalty,” but he also implied that the returner manipulated the situation.

“The returner did a good job of selling it, just running into me even though he wasn’t going to catch the ball,” Smith said. “Like I said, dumb penalties.”

Strnad and Smith will look to bounce back when the Broncos face the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in Week 17.

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5 takeaways from the Broncos’ 34-27 loss to Chargers on ‘TNF’

The Broncos lost to the Chargers on Thursday night. Here are five takeaways from the defeat.

The Denver Broncos lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 34-27 on Thursday Night Football in Week 16. Here are five quick takeaways from the defeat.

1. Denver’s penalties killed them: The Broncos were penalized seven times for 61 yards. Two of the most costly penalties came from cornerback Tremon Smith and linebacker Justin Strnad. Smith committed a 15-yard penalty on a punt fair catch that spotted L.A. a free field goal just before halftime. Strnad’s hit on a sliding Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert turned a fourth down into a first down and L.A. later scored a touchdown. Those two penalties cost seven points in a game that ended up being decided by a touchdown.

2. Sean Payton had a bad game: Perhaps the coach can be forgiven for attempting to score again with 41 seconds left before halftime, a decision that resulted in a Denver punt and the penalty that led to a Chargers field goal. Had it worked, Payton would have been praised for aggressiveness and the Broncos could have put the game out of reach. The coach isn’t off the hook for his decision to punt in the fourth quarter, though. Trailing by three points, Payton opted to punt on 4th-and-6 just one yard shy of midfield with 4:35 remaining in the game. Following that decision, L.A. essentially put the game out of reach on their ensuing drive.

3. The pass interference no-call should have been a moot point: Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still definitely got away with pass interference against Broncos receiver Marvin Mims in the fourth quarter, but that sequence never would have happened if quarterback Bo Nix threw a better pass. Mims was open by several yards and Nix underthrew him, allowing Still to catch up. Had Nix led the receiver, Mims could have scored a touchdown to give the Broncos a four-point lead. Yes, it should have been DPI. But Nix needs to throw a better ball.

4. The defense came up short: Denver’s offense only managed two field goals after halftime, but they are not alone in the blame for Thursday’s loss as Vance Joseph’s unit allowed three touchdowns in the second half. The defense was undisciplined with several crucial penalties and countless missed tackles.

5. The sky is not falling just yet: With two games remaining, the Broncos can still make the NFL playoffs. Denver would clinch a spot with one more win, and they can clinch even earlier with help from three other teams. If the Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts all lose or tie on Sunday, the Broncos would clinch a Wild Card spot. That’s unlikely to happen, though, so Denver’s game against the Bengals in Week 17 could have massive playoff implications. The path remains simple for the Broncos — win and you’re in.

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5 Broncos players to watch in Week 6 vs. Chargers

The 3-2 Broncos are coming off three straight superb wins. In Week 6, the Chargers have several Broncos players to keep an eye on in Denver.

We’ve got a big Week 6 matchup between two AFC West opponents in the Chargers and Broncos. A month into the season, and the two squads are in the thick of the AFC Wild Card race.

This matchup could be a deciding factor in earning a playoff spot later this season. With that, here are a few Broncos players to watch for Sunday’s key contest.

RB Javonte Williams

Williams is finally looking like his old self now over two years removed from a significant knee injury. He looked mostly ineffective in the first few weeks, but the former Tar Heel has seen his burst reappear in recent weeks. He’s been able to run the ball much better for an average of 4.8 yards per carry in the last two games. Williams is still searching for his first touchdown of the season, but he’s still someone that the Chargers defense will need to contain in Week 6.

WR Troy Franklin

This one is a bit of a sleeper, as the rookie has just five catches for 29 yards this season. Franklin was just selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft out of Oregon where he played with Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. The rookie duo just barely missed on a deep ball touchdown last week, which could be a sign of things to come. Franklin has the speed that should keep the Chargers’ defense honest.

DL Zach Allen

His name still goes a bit under the radar to casual fans, but he’s quietly having an elite 2024 campaign. The six-year veteran has established himself as one of the best defensive linemen in football. The Chargers cannot allow him to take over this game or else it could be a long day. In five games this season, Allen has registered three sacks, five tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hits.

LB Justin Strnad

Due to injuries, Strnad has stepped into the starting lineup in the last two games. He’s played awfully well, particularly in the run game. In the two starts, he has had 13 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack. Strnad’s impact on Sunday’s game will play a deciding factor in who wins this divisional tilt.

CB Riley Moss

Pat Surtain II gets the attention in this secondary, but Moss has been phenomenal in 2024. The two have formed arguably the best cornerback duo in the NFL through the first month of the season. The Iowa product snagged his first career interception in Week 4, and Pro Football Focus ranks him as the seventh-best cornerback in 2024. In other words, the Chargers may have some trouble throwing the ball at these Broncos cornerbacks.

Key things to know about Chargers’ Week 6 opponent: Broncos

Here are some important things to know about the Broncos ahead of the Week 6 matchup with the Chargers.

The Chargers are on the road to face the Broncos on Sunday, Oct. 13, at 1:05 p.m. PT.

To get you prepped for the Week 6 bout, here are five key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

Last 3 out

The Broncos are on a three-game winning streak, defeating the Buccaneers, Jets, and Raiders. Denver is currently 3-2 and second in the AFC West.

Checking in on the rookie

The Broncos selected former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix in the first round of this year’s draft in hopes of him being the long-term answer at the position. After a slow start, Nix has gotten more comfortable at the pro level. He’s coming off his best performance against Las Vegas. Nix completed 19 of 27 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns while running for a score.

Bottom of the barrel offense

Even though Nix showed some promise in Week 5, Denver’s offense is still a work in progress. The Broncos are 28th in the league in total offense (270.6 yards per game), tied for 22nd in scoring (19.2 points per game), 28th in passing (163.8 YPG), 21st in rushing offense (106.8 YPG).

Dominant defense

Vance Joseph is known for engineering top-tier defenses, and it’s no different this year for the Broncos. Denver ranks second in points allowed (14.6 per game), third in total yards (271.2 per game), fifth in passing yards (159.8 per game), tenth in rushing yards (111.4 per game), third in sacks (19) and seventh in interceptions (five).

Look out for…

Zach Allen. Allen should present a tough challenge for the Chargers’ interior offensive line with how he’s been playing. He has 29 quarterback pressures, tied for the second-most in the NFL, trailing only Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson. He also has the second-most run stops among all interior defenders (10).

Justin Strnad, Cody Barton stepping up for Broncos at linebacker

Following the Alex Singleton injury, Justin Strnad and Cody Barton have stepped up at linebacker for the Broncos.

Following the Alex Singleton injury last week, Cody Barton became the new play-caller with the “green dot” on defense and Justin Strnad stepped into a starting role, filling Singleton’s old position.

The new starting duo had a brilliant performance against the New York Jets on Sunday. Barton played all 74 snaps, totaling a team-high 10 tackles. Strnad played 57 snaps, recording four tackles (including two behind the line of scrimmage) and a sack in Denver’s 10-9 win.

“Those guys stepped up,” coach Sean Payton said Monday. “It’s always difficult when you lose someone who’s been as productive and certainly one of the team leaders. [I] was proud of the way those young guys played.”

Singleton was the team’s leading tackler before his injury. The Broncos are not going to exactly replicate Singleton’s performance, but Strnad and Barton did an excellent job filling in.

“I mean, obviously, you’re going to always miss Alex,” defensive lineman Zach Allen said Sunday. “Alex is Alex, but today, I think Cody and Justin did an incredible job. Cody’s obviously played a lot of ball in this league at a high level. So, it was a pretty good transition. Calls were coming out clean, communication was good and I can’t even really think of any real missed assignments. So, it’s a real credit to Cody. Then Justin too, to come in like that, it was awesome and we’re really proud of him.”

Before this fall, Strnad had played two straight seasons exclusively on special teams. He transitioned well from not playing at all to starting in Week 4, and he seems likely to keep the starting job going into Week 5.

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5 takeaways from the Broncos’ 10-9 win over the Jets

The Broncos got an upset win over the Jets in Week 4. Here are five quick takeaways from the victory.

The Denver Broncos improved to .500 on Sunday following their 10-9 victory over the New York Jets on the road. Here are five quick takeaways from the win.

1. Justin Strnad stepped up: Following the Alex Singleton injury, Strnad started across from Cody Barton at inside linebacker and played well. Strnad finished the day with four tackles (two behind the line of scrimmage) and one sack. The Broncos added two veteran linebackers to their practice squad after the Singleton injury, but Strnad played well enough to start again in Week 5.

2. Pat Surtain does it again: PS2 essentially shut down DK Metcalf, George Pickens and Mike Evans through the first three games of the season. That trend continued on Sunday as Surtain held Garrett Wilson to two catches for 22 yards. PS2 is playing like the best cornerback in the NFL.

3. Javonte Williams got back on track: After struggling early this season, Williams looked more like his pre-injury self against the Jets on Sunday. Williams finished the game with 16 carries for 77 yards, an average of 4.8 yards per carry. Denver’s offense had a strong showing on the ground overall as Jaleel McLaughlin added nine carries for 46 yards (5.1 YPC).

4. Vance Joseph’s defense is elite: The Broncos have allowed an average of 13.8 points per game through the first four weeks of the season with 16 sacks, a pair of fourth-down stops, three forced fumbles and two interceptions. One could make an argument that Denver has the best defense in the NFL after the team shut down Aaron Rodgers in Week 4.

5. Bo Nix made plays when it counted: Nix struggled early and went into halftime with negative seven passing yards. The rookie quarterback overthrew several deep passes and struggled with accuracy throughout the first half. Nix was clutch when it counted, though, leading an 11-play, 87-yard drive in the third quarter that ended with his first career touchdown pass to give the Broncos a lead on the road. Nix ended the game with just 60 passing yards, but he did not have any turnovers and did not take any sacks for the second straight week. After a rough start, Nix made plays when the team needed it most, and he took care of the football in a close game. Nix and the offense are trending in the right direction, but progress has been gradual.

Up next for the Broncos is a home game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5.

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Broncos’ updated pronunciation guide for 2024 NFL season

Here’s an updated name pronunciation guide for the Broncos, including “Tyler buh-DAY.”

Fox commentators caused a stir in Broncos Country last week when they pronounced running back Tyler Badie’s name as “buh-day” instead of “bay-dee.”

It turns out, Tim Brando and Matt Millen were correct in their pronunciation. After going by “bay-dee” at Missouri and through two seasons in the NFL, Badie informed the Broncos last week that he wanted it to be pronounced “buh-day.” Duly noted!

So, with Badie’s name corrected, here’s a look at an updated name pronunciation guide for Denver’s players this season:

  • RB Tyler Badie: “buh-DAY“
  • OT Garett Bolles: BOWLS
  • OLB Nik Bonitto: bo-KNEE-toe
  • TE Greg Dulcich: dul-SICH
  • RB Audric Estime: AWE-drick ess-TE-may
  • OL Alex Forsyth: FORE-seith
  • LS Mitchell Fraboni: fruh-BONE-ee
  • OL Nick Gargiulo: gar-JEWL-lo
  • CB Damarri Mathis: DUH-mar-EE
  • RB Jaleel McLaughlin: muh-GLOFF-lin
  • CB Ja’Quan McMillian: JAY-quan mac-MILL-in
  • OL Quinn Meinerz: minors
  • OL Alex Palczewski: pal-CHESS-key
  • OL Matt Peart: payrt
  • DB Keidron Smith: key-DRON
  • QB Jarrett Stidham: STID-um
  • LB Justin Strnad: stir-NAHD
  • CB Pat Surtain: sur-TAN
  • OLB Dondrea Tillman: DON-dre
  • DL Eyioma Uwazurike: en-YO-muh oo-WAZ-zur-EE-kay
  • WR Devaughn Vele: deh-VAWN VEH-lay
  • RB Javonte Williams: JUH-von-TAY
  • TE Thomas Yassmin: YAZ-min

Up next for Badie and Co. is a road game against the New York Jets on Sunday. Denver will aim to improve to 2-2 in Week 4.

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Broncos name pronunciation guide for 2024 NFL season

We’re eager to see JAY-quan mac-MILL-in and en-YO-muh oo-WAZ-zur-EE-kay lining up on defense for the Broncos this fall.

Now that the Denver Broncos have their 53-man roster and practice squad pretty much set for the 2024 NFL season, fans can familiarize themselves with the players we’ll be watching on Sundays this fall. An important part of that familiarization is pronunciation.

Courtesy of the team, here is a name pronunciation guide for Broncos players you might not know how to pronounce from just reading their names:

  • RB Tyler Badie: BAY-dee
  • LB Levelle Bailey: la-VELL
  • OT Garett Bolles: BOWLS
  • OLB Nik Bonitto: bo-KNEE-toe
  • TE Greg Dulcich: dul-SICH
  • RB Audric Estime: AWE-drick ess-TE-may
  • OL Alex Forsyth: FORE-seith
  • LS Mitchell Fraboni: fruh-BONE-ee
  • OL Nick Gargiulo: gar-JEWL-lo
  • CB Damarri Mathis: DUH-mar-EE
  • RB Jaleel McLaughlin: muh-GLOFF-lin
  • CB Ja’Quan McMillian: JAY-quan mac-MILL-in
  • OL Quinn Meinerz: minors
  • OL Alex Palczewski: pal-CHESS-key
  • OL Matt Peart: payrt
  • DB Keidron Smith: key-DRON
  • QB Jarrett Stidham: STID-um
  • LB Justin Strnad: stir-NAHD
  • CB Pat Surtain: sur-TAN
  • OLB Dondrea Tillman: DON-dre
  • DL Eyioma Uwazurike: en-YO-muh oo-WAZ-zur-EE-kay
  • WR Devaughn Vele: deh-VAWN VEH-lay
  • RB Javonte Williams: JUH-von-TAY
  • TE Thomas Yassmin: YAZ-min

After Ja’Quan McMillian’s name was botched by commentators during preseason, hopefully this guide can help fans and pundits avoid similar mistakes during the regular season.

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Broncos injuries: 3 players return to practice

There’s good news on the injury front for the Broncos this week as three players returned to practice.

There’s mixed news on the injury front for the Denver Broncos going into the second week of preseason.

Broncos guard Ben Powers (ribs) had X-rays come back negative on Monday, but he did not practice Wednesday. Tight end Lucas Krull (toe) was also held out of practice.

Cornerback Art Green (head) has entered the NFL’s concussion protocol and did not practice, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Meanwhile, Denver pass rusher Nik Bonitto (back) returned to practice after sitting out the team’s preseason opener. Safety Brandon Jones (hamstring) and linebacker Justin Strnad (groin) also returned to practice.

Cornerback Levi Wallace (hamstring) remains sidelined. Meanwhile, linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) and safety Delarrin Turner-Yell (ACL) remain on the physically unable to perform list.

We haven’t seen an update on the status of rookie guard Nick Gargiulo, who has been hindered by an undisclosed injury.

Broncos injuries: 6 players not practicing

1. DB Delarrin Turner-Yell (ACL; PUP)
2. LB Drew Sanders (Achilles; PUP)
3. CB Levi Wallace (hamstring)
4. CB Art Green (concussion)
5. OG Ben Powers (ribs)
6. TE Lucas Krull (toe)

Denver will practice again tomorrow and then hold a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers on Friday. The Broncos will then host the Packers in Week 2 of preseason on Sunday night.

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11 players did not play in Broncos’ first preseason game

Most healthy Broncos starters played against the Colts on Sunday with a few exceptions that included star cornerback Pat Surtain.

The Denver Broncos played most of their healthy starters in their preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday with three exceptions on defense.

Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain did not play — just like last year — and he was joined on the sideline by defensive linemen John Franklin-Myers and Zach Allen, who have been given sporadic rest days at training camp.

Denver also held back defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike, who just returned from a year-plus-long suspension last week.

“I think for someone who’s been out for a year, I just would regret it if we hurried him back and then he had a pulled muscle or something,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Uwazurike last week. “So I think it’s a tick early.”

Payton suggested Uwazurike will play against the Green Bay Packers in Denver’s second preseason game next week.

The rest of the players who sat out the Broncos’ preseason opener are recovering from injuries.

Safety Delarrin Turner-Yell (ACL) and linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) remain on the physically unable to perform list. Denver safety Brandon Jones (hamstring) and cornerback Levi Wallace (hamstring) have been sitting out at practice. Linebacker Justin Strnad is recovering from a groin injury, pass rusher Nik Bonitto is nursing a back injury and rookie guard Nick Gargiulo has an undisclosed ailment.

Broncos players who did not play

DB Brandon Jones (hamstring)
CB Levi Wallace (hamstring)
ILB Justin Strnad (groin)
OLB Nik Bonitto (back)
OL Nick Gargiulo (undisclosed)
DB Delarrin Turner-Yell (ACL)
LB Drew Sanders (Achilles)
DL Eyioma Uwazurike (just returned)
CB Pat Surtain (rest)
DL John Franklin-Myers (rest?)
DL Zach Allen (rest?)

We’ll get an update on the Broncos’ injuries when the team returns to practice on Wednesday. Denver will wrap up training camp next week with their final three open practices of the summer.

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